


And There Was A Nail

by wanderingeagle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Minor Petunia Dursley, Minor Vernon Dursley, Sirius Black Raises Harry Potter, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28873392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingeagle/pseuds/wanderingeagle
Summary: When Lily gave Petunia a charmed mirror linked to hers, James's and Sirius's mirrors, she changed her son's future: Petunia hands Harry to Sirius before Sirius finds Peter and now Sirius must find a way to keep his precious godson safe through the chaos in the wake of the first Voldemort war and raise him as his best friend would have wanted.Characters, relationships and additional tags to be added as they arise.This is a Work-In-Progress. I hope to finish it but I don't know how long it might take me. Updates will be irregular.
Kudos: 12





	And There Was A Nail

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first HP fic, although not my first fanfic. I have no beta at present; any mistakes are all mine. Please feel free to mention typos and the like in comments; I always want to fix those!

Joe was getting on in years but delivering the milk was what he'd done all his life, even if the pre-dawn chill was getting to his bones these days. He peered down at the basket on the doorstep of number four and whistled softly. He'd seen several babies left on doorsteps - mostly those of clergymen - over the decades but they had all been newborns, not healthy looking toddlers. Looking closer, he spotted a note. Well. He'd better ring the doorbell then.

Being a relatively recent mother, Petunia tended to sleep lightly these days and she woke with a start as the doorbell chimed melodically through the house. She lay still for a moment wondering if she had dreamed the sound but no, there it was again. With a huff at her still-snoring husband, she reluctantly left the warmth to answer the door.

"Sorry to disturb you, ma'am, but someone's left a baby on your doorstep."

Petunia blinked, looked down and gaped.

"I'm sorry ma'am." Joe shifted uncomfortably. "I can take it, if you want..."

It was the messy mop of black hair that did it. Petunia shut her mouth and scowled at the sleeping spawn of her sister and her husband of the perpetually messy black hair. "Oh, I know what to do," she said through gritted teeth. "Just give me my milk."

Joe handed it over, muttered another apology and headed back to his van. Numbers six and eight didn't get milk on Tuesdays so he was out of sight by the time Petunia reluctantly took the basket (and her still sleeping nephew) inside.

She didn't touch the note. She didn't want to know. Instead, she went straight to the kitchen, opened the bottom drawer and reached behind it for the thick envelope stuck to the back of the cupboard. Taking out the small, innocuous silver-framed mirror, she took a deep breath and tapped it. Three taps, wait, two more taps. When the surface clouded over, she couldn't suppress her shudder. Magic.

* * *

After Hagrid took his godson, Sirius went hunting. He would take down that filthy - rotten - slimy traitor.

He would.

But Peter was not to be easily found. Sirius broke into his little flat, tore half of it apart in rage when he found it empty. He kept going, checking each possibility that came to his increasingly distraught mind and coming up empty handed every time until the mirror stuck deep in his pocket chimed. Startled, he yanked it out. The thin face and disapproving expression was vaguely familiar and he stared blankly at the caller for a long half minute until he remembered that Lily had given her sister a mirror ages ago. More than a year at least. "Petunia?"

"You!" The shill tone was enough to hurt his ears. "You need to come and get him!"

"What?"

"Lily's boy. He was left on my DOORSTEP. I won't have it! I told Lily so, told her I never wanted her near my boy either!"

The demand hit Sirius like cold water to his face. "Harry," he growled. "I'll be right there." Cutting the connection, he used the fading signature as an aparation target and landed in Petunia's kitchen with a sharp pop.

"EEEEEK," shrieked Petunia, dropping her mirror as she did. It shattered on the floor and the crack finally woke little Harry.

Sirius did not spare the startled Petunia a glance - he scooped Harry out the basket and cuddled him close, soothing him back to an unsettled quiet. Only then did he look at her, not quite sure what to say as she stumbled to the sink and filled the kettle with shaking hands. Uncomfortable with the sight, he glanced down at the basket and saw the innocuous off-white parchment of an envelope beside it. "Did you - is that a note? What happened?"

Petunia sniffed, setting a teapot on the bench alongside a tea caddy and some milk. "The milkman found him on my doorstep and rang the bell. Goodness knows how long he'd been out there in the cold!" She darted a quick glare at the note. "I presume that's some kind of ex...explanation." Her voice shook and broke on the last word and she dragged in a deep breath. "I assume Lily... that Lily is..."

Sirius blinked back hot tears of his own, responding thickly. "Lily and James. Yes. Both... both gone."

Boiling water and tea into the teapot, tea cup from the shelf, pour the tea, add the milk. The little ritual done in the old fashioned way her mother used to make tea when she was little. A memory of tiny Lily and herself playing pretend with the old, chipped teapot from the back of their mother's cupboard. Petunia sniffed again and burst into tears.

"Pet? Pet!" Vernon's voice sounded from the hall and he blundered into the kitchen, dressing gown crooked and his hair sticking up. "Pet! YOU!" He wobbled a little on his feet, face turning red as he glared at the intruder.

Sirius grimaced as Harry began crying again from the noise. "I..." he floundered. "Um..."

Vernon continued to glare as he went to Petunia's side and gently put his arm around her. "And what is that!?" he growled, waving a hand in the general direction of Harry and basket.

"Lily," Petunia interjected, dabbing at her face before picking up her tea cup and determinedly taking a sip. "Lily's dead. And someone brought her... child... here. I called him."

Taking over the explaining, Sirius started pacing as Harry sniffled in his arms. "I went to get Harry but Hagrid, well, he wouldn't let me have him, insisted on taking him to Dumbledore. I figured they'd have a healer check him and he'd have been safer at Hogwarts than my place." He reached for the note and juggling it and Harry, ripped it open. "I had no idea anyone would bring Harry here..." He trailed off as he read the words in Dumbledore's spidery handwriting and his expression darkened.

Vernon growled something uncomplimentary under his breath as he supported Petunia to a seat at the table. She fiddled with her cup in agitation as her husband fetched a cup for himself. "Dumbledore? The headmaster? Why would he - who is he to do such a thing?"

Sirius grimaced, shoved the note in his pocket and grabbed the blanket out of the basket. "I don't know. But James and Lily named me Harry's guardian in their will so I am taking him." He glanced at the broken mirror and awkwardly tucking the blanket around his godson, drew his wand. Vanishing empty basket and broken glass he saw Vernon and Petunia both flinch and cringe away. "I - I can't apparate with Harry, I'll need to find a train or bus." The Knight bus crossed his mind but he dismissed it. It wasn't safe.

Petunia sniffed again and told him which way was the train station. Vernon escorted him to the front door and shut it very firmly behind him. Sirius could hear him lock and bolt it too.


End file.
